Lifestyle

Local youth and families recently kicked off the new school year with some friendly competition and community fun during the Back to School Squishy Hunt, sponsored by Winn Main Street from August 3 through August 6.

Each evening of the four-day event, excitement built as the location of the daily hidden squishy was revealed on the Winn Main Street-Winnfield Facebook page at 5:25 p.m., leading up to the official hunt start time at 5:30 p.m. To keep the contest fair and give multiple children a chance to participate, hunters were limited to finding just one squishy for the week.

Lucky finders brought their squishies to TuTu’s Chill and Brew, where they posed for photos in front of the official squishy poster. Participants who tagged Winn Main Street-Winnfield in their photos were entered into a special drawing for a hand-painted squishy box created by Crayon Princess.

Family, friends, and Masonic brethren gathered at the Louisiana Political Museum this past Saturday night to honor a true pillar of the Winnfield community: Brother Cass Boone Moss. The occasion marked a remarkable double milestone—celebrating Brother Moss’s 95th birthday and honoring his incredible 67 years of dedicated service to the Masonic fraternity.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of a special Certificate of Honor from the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, Free & Accepted Masons. The certificate formally recognized Brother Moss’s lifelong dedication to the craft and his community since first taking his Masonic obligations in the spring of 1959 at Eastern Star Lodge No. 151 F&AM.

Over six decades ago, Brother Moss began his journey in Masonry, being initiated on April 13, 1959, passed to the degree of Fellowcraft on May 11, 1959, and raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason on June 8,1959.

For more than three decades, I have dedicated my life to serving the students and families of Winn Parish. After teaching for 33 years with the Winn Parish School Board, I know firsthand the challenges our schools face and the opportunities we have to make them even stronger.

I am married to Kevin Hatcher, and together we’ve been blessed with three children, all graduates of Winnfield Senior High School. We are also the proud grandparents of six grandchildren, four of whom currently attend Winn Parish schools. Our family’s roots are here, and our future is here.

I am seeking to serve District 7 as a positive voice for our students, faculty, parents, and community. Every decision I make will be guided by one simple principle: putting students first while supporting the educators and families who help them succeed every day.

The Winn Parish Library officially launched its 2026 Summer Reading Program on May 29th with a kickoff event that brought the community together for a day of celebration, learning, and laughter. Filled with local vendors and exciting activities, the celebration offered something for everyone to enjoy. Families flocked to the vibrant event, where children lined up for bounce houses, skee-ball, refreshing snow cones, and fluffy cotton candy. The festive atmosphere was heightened by face painting, custom balloon animals, crafting tables, and colorful sidewalk chalk art, while a hands-on petting zoo served as a major highlight for animal lovers of all ages.

CALVIN

Left to right: Bella Perot, Blair Babers, Knox Reed, Carter Holmes, Kayden Mattox. Teacher Kim Dupree, Kiwanians Mary Lou Blackley and Troy Rogers, Principal Justin Tinsley.

The Kiwanis club welcomed Winn Parish Library Director Priscilla Massey as guest speaker for the March 24th Kiwanis club meeting. Ms. Massey began by talking about the Kiwanis sponsored book sale of Dr. Jerry Williams’ collection of books that were donated to the Library. The books are being sold because the library does not need them and there is not room for them. These books cover a wide variety of topics and genres. The sale will continue through April 2nd. After that decisions will be made as to what happens with the books that were not sold. They could be sent to companies who take books in bulk and sell them on consignment. Some of them may be donated to places like nursing homes, etc.

Ms. Massey always wanted to be in the Library field and worked at the library. However, her degree from La. Tech was in business and she went to work for a bank but soon decided she needed to be back at the library.

On March 25th, members of the Rotary Club gathered at Mama’s Iron Skillet for a powerful presentation on a unique chapter of American history: the Louisiana Orphan Train. The guest speaker for the event was Martha Aubert, Board President of the Louisiana Orphan Train Museum and granddaughter of Emily Kingsley Bergeron Von Bodungen, a local Orphan Train rider.

Dr. Bill Gaddis served as the guest speaker for the Rotary Club, sharing of his recent travel to Israel. The presentation was a visual tour for the Rotary members, featuring numerous photographs taken throughout the excursion. Winn Parish Library Director Priscilla Massey helped coordinate the media presentation to bring the sights of Israel to life for the club.

Gaddis was accompanied by a group of fellow travelers and navigated by a local guide where the group embarked on a mission, focusing on sites deeply rooted in both Old and New Testament history. Key stops on the journey included: The Grotto of the Shepherds, a site traditionally associated with the biblical announcement of the birth of Christ. Warren’s Shaft and Jerusalem Archaeological Park, where the group explored the complex underground water systems and ruins of ancient Jerusalem. The Star of David & Yad Vashem, the group paid their respects at a Holocaust museum, reflecting on the history of the region.